Deputy injured in crash
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 137 NO. 1 6 Pages
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Morrow joins effort for full
lottery funding
Oregon counties say state has been
“shorting” what’s owed from video
gambling
By David Sykes
The Morrow County
Commission last week
voted to join in an effort
by other Oregon counties,
to force the state into al-
locating the full amount
of lottery money they say
is rightly owed each year
under the law.
Under Oregon law, es-
tablished when the lottery
was formed, the state is
supposed to divide up and
distribute 2.5 percent of net
video lottery funds after
prizes, to the 36 counties.
According to the Asso-
ciation of Oregon Counties
(AOC) however, of which
Morrow County is a mem-
ber, the state has been hand-
ing out less than is owed.
For instance, a total of
$39,083,827 was given out
to counties in 2016. That
is $1,752,921 less than the
law stipulates, according
to AOC.
Apparently, the state
has begun distributing a
“fixed” amount of lottery
funds to the counties. Then
when actual revenue comes
in higher, has not upping
the allotment as required.
AOC says if actual revenue
comes in higher, then the
state should come back
and distribute the actual 2.5
percent owed. Under the
proposed legislation “….
counties are supposed to
receive 2.5 percent of new
video lottery proceeds,”
said the AOC in an email
sent out to Oregon counties
asking for assistance. “In
practice, however, this per-
centage has been replaced
with a fixed appropriation,
and the statute suspended.”
The email went on to say
Morrow County Sheriff’s Deputy Lance Bose was injured when his patrol vehicle rolled several
times after hitting ice. -Contributed photo
Morrow County Sher-
iff’s Deputy Lance Bose
was involved in a single
vehicle accident on 1-84
eastbound on the morning
of Dec. 30, while respond-
ing to an emergency call
for a rollover crash involv-
ing tow semi-trucks and
trailers.
While enroute to the
reported truck crash, Dep-
uty Bose was advised by
dispatch of an ongoing
dispute and fight involving
approximately 15 people
at Bucknum’s Tavern in
Heppner. Deputy Bose was
diverted from the truck
crash and reversed direc-
Video lottery provided over $78,000 for county economic de- tion, heading eastbound on
I-84 to respond to the fight
velopment in 2017
the proposed legislation Commissioner Don Rus- in progress.
would provide, “ a mecha- sell at the Dec. 27 meeting.
nism to fund the actual 2.5 “We need to hold the leg-
percent levels.”
islature accountable to the
The AOC said the agreement they made years
funds were needed by the ago (when the lottery was
counties and “are an im- first instituted). The Mor-
portant investment in local row County commissioners
economic development.” went on to vote in favor of
How the money is spent joining an effort by AOC to
has been pretty consistent, pass legislation forcing the
at least over the past three state in the future to distrib-
years. For instance in 2016 ute the full amount owed.
Morrow County received The AOC had not asked for
$79,189 in lottery money funding, but only asked the
and those funds went to county to send in its logo
county tourism, the rodeo, to be used on promotional
the museum, the fair, OSU materials advocating the
Extension and the Willow proposed legislation.
Creek Valley Economic
In other business at
Development Group. In the Dec. 27 meeting, the
2017 the county received commission heard a report
$78,610 and used the fund- from Public Works Director
ing in a similar way. The Matt Scrivner who said as
county received $70,381 in of Dec. 20, Coalmine Hill
2015, and those funds also has been closed to traffic.
were distributed for eco- The county does not re-
nomic development. How move snow and maintain
much money the county the road past Cutsforth Park
receives, depends partly by and will reopen the road in
how much is taken in from the spring.
video gambling within the
-See LOTTERY/PAGE FOUR
county.
“I am in favor of this
(the AOC effort),” said
Initial information in- herd Hospital in Hermiston
dicates that Deputy Bose with non-life threatening
passed through an area injuries.
of icy conditions and lost
The crash is being in-
control of his patrol ve- vestigated by the Oregon
hicle, resulting in
State Police and fur-
the vehicle spinning
ther information will
off the interstate and
be handled by the
rolling several times
state police.
in an area that con-
Sheriff Kenneth
sisted mostly of dirt,
W. Matlack said he is
sagebrush and larger
very thankful for the
rocks. When the ve- Deputy
assistance given by
hicle came to rest, Lance Bose Oregon State Police,
Deputy Bose was
Boardman Police De-
trapped inside due to the partment, Boardman Fire
damage to the vehicle.
and Boardman Ambulance
Boardman Fire and with this incident.
Ambulance responded to
Deputy Bose will be
the scene and was able to recovering for a few months
extricate Deputy Bose from and is expected to make a
the vehicle who was then full recovery.
transported to Good Shep-
Gunshot victim released from
Defendants from Oct. 31 chase hospital
through Heppner released
Defendants involved
in the high speed chase
through Heppner on Oct.
31, Buddy James Buoy, 42,
Michelle Carol McLean,
40 and Julia R. Kraus, 37,
have all been released and
returned to Portland. Each
faces multiple charges
stemming from car thefts
of Washington dealers.
The court granted con-
ditional releases for all three
defendants while the inves-
tigation continues by the
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Department, Boardman PD
and law enforcement agen-
cies in other Oregon and
Washington counties.
They each face five
counts of first-degree ag-
gravated theft for stealing
a 2015 Ford F250 and a
2016 Ford F350 from Dave
Smith Motors in Spokane,
and a Chevrolet Camaro,
Corvette, and Silverado
pickup from McCurley In-
tegrity Chevrolet in Pasco.
The state also charged
Buoy and Kraus with flee-
ing or attempting to elude,
reckless driving and mul-
tiple counts of second-
degree criminal mischief
and second-degree criminal
trespass stemming from a
police chase. McLean also
faces one charge of unau-
thorized use of a vehicle.
The defendants have
pleaded not guilty to all
charges.
According to court re-
cords, Buoy’s next hear-
ing is Jan. 4; McLean and
Kraus have hearings Jan.
25. The hearings will take
place at the Morrow County
Courthouse in Heppner.
Ballots for the Oregon
Special Election will be
mailed from Heppner on
Jan. 3. Typically, Oregon
does not hold elections
in January. However, the
legislature chose to call a
special election for Mea-
sure 101. Since this elec-
tion is solely on Measure
101, no candidates or other
measures will appear on
the ballot.
Ballots must be physi-
cally received by the county
elections office no later than
8 p.m. on Jan. 23. Post-
marks do not count.
Ballot drop boxes can
be found in the parking lot
of the Bartholomew build-
ing in Heppner, at the public
works offices in Lexington
and on Spring Street in
Ione. The ballot box at the
courthouse has been moved
to a new location near the
Bartholomew building and
the box at public works in
Lexington has been relo-
cated to another section of
the parking lot.
Kyle Ulrich, 47, found
last week in Morrow Coun-
ty suffering from a gunshot
wound, has been released
from the hospital.
Oregon State Police
responded to Love’s Travel
Stop on Dec. 21 for a report
of a man that had reportedly
been shot. Ulrich, injured,
had flagged down a passing
motorist a few miles from
Love’s and they transported
him to the truck stop and
called 911.
Ulrich told police that
he had been kidnapped in
another part of the state and
held captive in an unknown
location for several days be-
fore being taken to Morrow
County where he was shot.
According to information
provided by OSP, detectives
are still investigating the
case and trying to substanti-
ate those claims.
Oregon State Police
does not believe there is a
threat to the general public.
Ballots to be mailed Jan. 3
MORROW COUNTY GRAIN
GROWER
350 MAIN STREET
LEXINGTON, OR
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